HISTORIC COMEBACK FOR UNESCO CLASSICS IN MALAYSIA AND BRUNEI
Singapore & Malaysia, 26 August 2021: I.E. Entertainment Pte. Ltd. is proud to announce a landmark deal with ASTRO, a Malaysian media and entertainment company, for 33 iconic Malay Movie Classics from Cathay-Keris Films.
The titles will be made available on Astro Citra and Astro Prima linear channels, including On Demand, Astro GO and OTT platforms from September 2021.
This is the first time in a decade that these Malay Movie Classics will be made available on Astro.
Vice President, Malay Nusantara Business and Head of Astro Shaw, Raja Jastina Raja Arshad said, “We are excited to work with Cathay-Keris Films through its distribution company in the Asian region, I.E. Entertainment Pte. Ltd. in bringing 33 best classic Malay films to audiences in Malaysia and Brunei on Astro. Interestingly, all the films will be screened after more than 10 years of not being shown on any Malaysian paid television platforms. We believe the 33 entertaining movies will definitely bring the audience back to the time the movies were popular and at the same introduce the new generation to classic Malay films. What’s even more special is these films also is a tribute to producers and production giants, and big names who’ve graced the Malay film industry such as Nordin Ahmad, Latifah Omar, Hajah Umi Kalsom, Mat Sentul and many others. We hope this initiative will be able to make local works of art always appreciated and not obsolete.”
Indra Suharjono, co-founder of I.E. Entertainment said, “I am pleased with Astro’s commitment in showcasing Malay Classic Films in Malaysia and Brunei through their platforms. We could not have chosen a better partner in Malaysia and Brunei to reignite the love of Malay classic films from the Cathay-Keris Films library to the young audience who will experience it for the first time and see how movie-making has evolved over the years. It’s a great way to learn about movies, eras, dialects, fashion trends, styles, and camera work.”
Among the 33 movies are Pontianak Gua Musang, Sumpah Pontianak, Jula Juli Bintang Tiga, Tunang Pak Dukun, Dang Anom, and Chuchu Datuk Merah, which features music composed by Zubir Said, best known as the composer of Singapore’s National Anthem. The full list of titles is below.
The agreement represents a significant triumph for, I.E. Entertainment, launched on 8 April 2021 by the Suharjono sisters Indra and Erlina, with exclusive licensing rights to the iconic Cathay-Keris Films library.
The 33 movies headed for ASTRO represent a third of the 91 surviving titles representing a portion of Singapore’s golden age of filmmaking, which ran through the 1950s and 1960s.
The titles depict stories indigenous to the Malay people of Singapore and Malaysia, display disappearing traditions and music, and reflect the time’s social attitudes. The collection is historically, culturally, and artistically significant to the region’s Malay communities and embodies Malaysia and Singapore’s heritage.
About Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad
Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad (Astro) is Malaysia’s leading content and entertainment company, serving 5.7 million homes or 74% of Malaysian TV households, 8,700 enterprises, 17 million weekly radio listeners (FM and digital), 13.2 million digital monthly unique visitors and 2.9 million shoppers across its TV, radio, digital and commerce platforms. At Astro, we are committed to entertaining, informing and engaging with our customers through the best of local, regional and international content. As the largest content creator in the country, we produce and commission over 9,000 hours of local and vernacular content yearly, creating countless memorable moments for millions of Malaysians.
We are aggregating global streaming services to broaden our reach to digital natives, expanding content choice and making Astro the one-stop destination for the biggest entertainment in Malaysia. More streaming services will be joining our family, currently consisting of Astro GO, HBO GO, iQIYI, Disney+ Hotstar and Netflix.
Our own streaming service sooka offers the world’s best live sports, winning local entertainment and exclusive sooka originals at affordable price points uniquely catered to millennials.
Our Ultra Box with 4K UHD and Ulti Box with HD, Cloud Recording, Play from Start and Pause features, as well as the new Ultra Plug & Play Box, alongside our content-broadband bundles, bring an elevated viewing experience to our customers’ homes, enabling them to enjoy the best of what Astro has to offer. With Astro GO, our companion streaming app, customers can stream up to 65,000 On Demand titles anytime, anywhere.
NJOI, our freemium service, offers free TV channels with prepaid options for additional content. The NJOI HD pack and My NJOI app upgrade customers’ experience when purchasing and watching their favourite content in HD.
Astro BUSINESS provides customisable package subscriptions for our enterprise customers in commercial premises – F&B outlets, hotels, offices, retail outlets and healthcare centres, extending our reach beyond residential homes.
Astro Radio, home to the country’s highest-rated radio brands across all key languages, and our digital brands including Gempak, Xuan, Ulagam and AWANI connect Malaysians to content and stories that matter most to them everyday. Go Shop, our home shopping and commerce business, offers a fun and entertaining home and online shopping experience that suits the Malaysian lifestyle.
As the nation’s trusted brand, we are dedicated to long-term impactful ESG endeavours focused on lifelong learning, community development, sports and environment through our Group and foundation, Yayasan Astro Kasih. Over the past 10 years, Astro has invested RM120 million in championing education for Malaysians, offering learning content like Tutor TV and TVIQ that reaches 5 million students nationwide annually. It is our privilege to be voted as the Platinum winner in the Media Networks category for the 11th year running at the Putra Brand Awards 2020.
Leveraging our unrivalled customer base and reach, compelling content, innovative products, refreshed technology and a winning team, we will continue our transformation journey to deliver an all-new Astro experience to Malaysians.
About Astro Shaw
Astro Shaw is a Malaysian film production company which produces movies for the local and nusantara. Astro Shaw has been actively distributing its film beyond domestic market and has made its mark in regional and global space. Since its establishment in 1996, Astro Shaw has produced more than 90 films in various genre and languages. Some of Astro Shaw’s notable titles are Polis Evo, Hantu Kak Limah, Abang Long Fadil 2, Paskal, Dukun, The Garden of Evening Mists.